Skip to main content

Cambridge American Cemetery

Saturday was a gloomy, bitterly, cold day. We traveled to Cambridge and stopped at the American Cemetery and memorial. The memorial is the only WWII American cemetery in the UK. The University donated the site and the British government authorized use of its land. The layout is similar to a baseball field, with the American flag at home base and the graves extending into the outfield. There are layers to the cemetery, each section dotted with rows of white crosses marking those who lost their lives in the skies over the British Isles and in preparation for the battles to be fought on the continent. There is a wall of missing names that stands along the south side of the memorial with 5,127 names. 50 yellow rose bushes circled around the base of the flag represent each state.

The memorial also has a chapel. The doors to the chapel showcase 3D models of military devices such as tanks, planes, and submarines. Once inside, the chapel reveals a colorful mosaic of tile.

At the very end of the tour, the sun blessed us with its presence for just a few short moments. The gloom of the day made the sadness of the memorial even more apparent. Once the sun came out, the memorial seemed to reveal a heavenly image. I thought of the sun rays as God's glory shining upon the bravery of the lives lost.

After the memorial, we headed into the university town, or "The other place." The rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge is well known throughout the UK, although they are the UK's oldest and most famous universities, often linked together for their academic prestige termed "Oxbridge." The running joke of competition between the universities creates an atmosphere of friendly rivalry for sporting matches. However, Oxford is the older of the two and, therefore, the unspoken better. The college and teaching systems are both similar. Where Oxford has "tutorials," Cambridge calls them, "supervisions." Oxford is generally considered more lively because it is thrown into a vibrant city, while Cambridge is typically considered more lovely. Overall, the universities both possess incredible qualities and several similarities. Both have ivy growing on old buildings, little passageways, incredible gardens, and local markets. It is up to the individual student to discover where they fit best.
After exploring some colleges and the town, a few friends and I sought shelter from the frigid air in a tea shop to enjoy the warmth of some afternoon tea.

May you enjoy the warmth of friends and fellowship this winter.
All my love,
Gennavieve

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hampton Court Palace

Today, I toured Hampton Court Palace, an official historic, royal palace. Following are some of the sights I saw, history I learned, and favorites I enjoyed. The guard chamber of King William III. The magnificent display of 2,871 items of armor and weapons displayed a message that William was a great soldier and peacemaker. William's Presence chamber. Only high-ranking individuals were permitted into this room. William would be distinguished by sitting on a Chair of Estate. Those who entered his presence were required to remove their hats and make three low bows to the King, or even his empty chair. I'm grateful to serve an accessible King, who is with me wherever I go. William's eating room. He was expected to dine here on occasions "in front of persons of good fashion and good appearance," in order to display the sumptuousness of his food and to reassure everyone he was in good health. He was served by three servants on bended knee. William's P
Post a Comment
Read more

Oopsy Daisy

Today I learned a cultural lesson through my daisy chain making. I was just being typical Gennavieve, frolicking in the fields between the rose geranium and picking daisies. I decided to make a chain and, before long, I had quickly assembled a round daisy necklace. I held it for a bit and then one of the workers, Mikeal, came up to our group and I decided to give it to him, so I put the flower garland around his head and it plopped on his neck. Little did I know that my actions meant much more than I had intended. Mikeal's eyes lit up and he screamed in Zulu to his coworkers, proudly showing off his chain. I giggled at first and then after the eruption of laughter from the workers, I realized that I had done something unusual. I swiftly found Pendele, one of the women who I've grown to trust and love who also translates for us, and asked her to explain why the men had been laughing. She began to laugh herself when I told her and after she regained composure she sai
Post a Comment
Read more

JCR Welcoming Dinner

As part of New College, I was cordially invited to a welcoming dinner in the JCR Private Dining Room at St. Catherine's College. This invitation is considered an incredible honor and, after talking to the presidents, many students never receive the privilege of a formal dining experience in a college hall. The evening called for black tie attire, which meant tuxes for the guys and formal dresses for the girls. Luckily, I packed my sister's pink cotton candy gown. The evening began in a welcoming chamber. We entered and, having been handed a glass of sherry, began making small conversation. After a social bit, we were lead to the dining hall, where we were seated at a table purposely designed higher than the other tables in the hall, symbolizing its importance. The plates had individual name cards, designating seats. I sat to the left of the special, middle head-chair which seated, Deepak Mukhi, our program director. I took one glance at my place setting, noting the multi
1 comment
Read more